HEIGHT OF ROMANCE: Kate and William are the perfect match when it comes to height [GETTY ]

The stature of a potential partner is more important to women than it is to men, a study has revealed.

While men aren't as bothered about the height difference between them and their spouse, women want a tall man to make them feel "feminine and delicate".

Only 24 per cent of women said height was irrelevant when seeking a partner, compared to 35 per cent of men. And the research, by adult retailer Lovehoney, found that 70 per cent of couples were most comfortable in a relationship where the man was taller.

Much to the dismay of those holding feminist ideals, the study showed that women want a taller man to make them feel "protected and secure".

Nearly a fifth of the 2,000 adults polled reckon a gap between four and six inches is the ideal height difference. At 6ft 3in, Prince William is exactly five inches taller than his 5ft 10in wife Catherine, making them the perfect height match.

Other celebrity couples that come close to the ideal include Brad Pitt (5ft 11in) and Angelina Jolie (5ft 7in) and Daniel Craig (5ft 10in) and Rachel Weisz (5ft 6in).

BRANGELINA: Brad and Ange are also a good height match with four inches between them [GETTY ]

When looking for love, a difference of two inches was chosen by seven per cent - the same as between Keira Knightly (5ft 6in) and her husband James Righton (5ft 8in) from the band Klaxons.

And one in 10 said that matching heights was the ideal - good news for Jason Statham and his lover of four years, supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who are both 5ft 9in.

Some people preferred an even bigger difference, with seven percent saying a gap of between six and eight inches, like David Beckham (6ft) and wife Victoria (5ft 3in), was ideal.

But despite the demand for towering men, 83 cent cent of women said they were happy with their partner's height and just 14 per cent wanted their man to be taller.

And a huge 91 percent of men said their height had never held them back when approaching a potential partner, with just six per cent saying they had felt too short to approach a woman they were attracted to.

SNAP: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Jason Statham are both 5ft 9ins although she towers over him in her skyscraper heels [GETTY ]

"The long and short of it that size DOES matter to a lot of couples," a Lovehoney spokesperson said. "But all our research at Lovehoney shows that size isn't important when it comes to real sexual chemistry.

"That comes from couples from being honest, open and relaxed about sex."